Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-04

withstandIug the club is supposed TO be
thoroughly agnostie. MT; JuuSe, VINO
followed Mr.. Henrichs, spoke rather flip
PANTY in defense of Theosophy, and
doubted the preseiioe of real Christian
In the assemblage. ty.nI. ...-r
see that Joe Howard, who seems to
find time for all sorts aud kinds OF literary
labor, in addition to mis- daily journalistic
''stent," is writing Life or henry Ward
Beeoher for the subscription house of
Hubbard Bros, of Philadelphia. Mr..
Howard's father was the virtual starter
of Plymouth Church and the most ipti-
mate friend of Mr.. Beeeherfor nearly halt
a century. This tact, with Howard's
access to hundreds of letters written by
Mr.. Beecher which have never yet been
made public, ought to make his work IN
teresting from that point Of view and
valuable. l am permittedto quote from
a letter written by Mr.. Beecher to J0e's
father in July, lS4S, forty years ago, when
Beecher was young man. Howutu's
father was u young man, ara Joe, III BID
and tucker, was going to school in his
native town OF Brooklyn. 1t would seem
that Mr.. Beecher had been lecluEiDg IN
Buffalo, Hamilton and Utlca, from Which
last named place the letter, from which
the following is an extract, was written.
Read, and see if it isn't Beecher from
start to finish:
UTICA, Friday Morning.
Here | am, an hour and half before car
time. | rejoice with exceeding great Joy to
set my face homeward. l long to see you all.
For although have had one of the most varl-
Gus, eXhil arating anu delightful weeks posi-
bic, vet begin to be homesick. what under
the heavens those people can do who have no.
body to love anu nobody TO love them, don't
know. All, if ever | am called to leave
Brooklyn, will it not he TO me like rending
nj frop, Ia nGiyp E4nr,.tnfnrn huf
to labor often up hill, to carry everything, in
spire every thing and do everything, besides
which there was sorrow in my house and sor-
row in my heart. But now l seem to have
gone over to the opposite eXtreme--what
comfort is wanting; how many dear friends
who love me far beyond what | deserve,
whose kIndnesses are ceaseless! Sometimes,
when | think of all God's mercles TO me. my
feelings rise and almost suff0cate me.
| used to brace myself up under sore trials
by saying to my soul, 'Thou art not man If
thou canst not endure all that God will lay
upon thee" But now 1t Is aquestlOn how
shall come out of prosperity, VIII not the
summer melt what the winter could not blow
aWayI long 10 live in sympathy with such
mind as PauPs-I long TO have such full
ness of heart that whoever loves me shall 6nd
h mself growing better for 1t. Could any
epitaph be more simple, but noble, than this of
the New Testament, He went about doing
goodf" A commentary on that sentence
would be Ike clothes on a lily-coverng up
without adjoining or setting forth.
ii. W.B.
Bear in mind chat these letters were
written from friend TO friend forty years
ago, when MIR. Beecher was but "a years
OF age, fresh from his Western field with
all the enthusiasm of an ever bubbling
nature, stirred by contact with fresh
class OF men and women, we'll born, we'll
bred, educated, appreciative, and above
all demonstrative in their affectiOnate re-
gard for their new friend and pastor.
HENRY JAMES.